Terms and Conditions
A) General Patient Information
1. Treatment Concept of Alpine BioMedical AG
Alpine BioMedical AG is a clinic for biological and integrative medicine.
In our clinic we combine scientific medicine with modern and traditional naturopathy to create integrative medicine. We see people in their entirety of body, mind and soul. We combine the methods of “conventional medicine” with established methods of classical naturopathy and modern biological medicine as well as the traditional medicine of our culture, traditional Chinese medicine, environmental medicine and biological dentistry. This results in an individual diagnosis and therapy concept. Conventional medicine often only treats the symptoms. We want to recognize and treat the causes of illnesses and take a lot of time to see the person as a whole.
However, we are neither a primary care facility nor a traditional general practice, but a specialized facility for advanced medicine.
Our clinic specializes in chronic illnesses such as tumour diseases, neurological disorders, autoimmune diseases and chronic infections. However, we also help patients for whom no clear diagnosis has yet been made or support them in the context of prevention or in optimizing their health.
2. Billing with Health Insurance Companies and other Cost Bearers
Alpine BioMedical AG is a private clinic and our doctors are available to you exclusively as private physicians. This is the only way we can take enough time to offer you the entire spectrum of modern diagnostics and therapy. We have deliberately opted for private billing so that we do not have to limit our specialized, integrative therapy concept in accordance with the general reimbursement guidelines of any insurance providers, but can focus entirely on the success of your treatment.
This means that you cannot submit invoices from Alpine BioMedical AG to your health insurance company. The costs of treatments and therapies are not covered by basic insurance (Tarmed) or supplementary insurance. The biological and naturopathic medicines and vital substance preparations of orthomolecular medicine that we frequently use are also not covered by basic insurance or supplementary insurance. We bill all items privately according to transparent service items and are not guided by the flat-rate fee codes of health insurance companies or other service providers. Our aim is to work with you to find the best, most sustainable and healthiest solution for your health concerns, taking into account your current situation. That is why we focus our treatment concepts on the best possible success for your health and not on complying with the standardized service catalogs of associations and insurance companies. Invoices and cost estimates with private items are generally not accepted by insurance companies and public authorities, so it cannot be assumed that the costs will be covered.
If you submit the invoice to an insurance company or other institution for reimbursement after a completed treatment, we cannot offer you any further assistance apart from a doctor’s letter and the sending of the diagnostic findings. We ask for your understanding at this point, as detailed correspondence with insurance companies has proved to be extremely time-consuming and futile in the past.
3. Procedure and Regulations
At the beginning of treatment, an exact conventional medical diagnosis is made and further diagnostic possibilities of biological medicine, environmental medicine and naturopathy are discussed with the patient in order to then draw up an individual treatment plan together. Together with the patient, a decision is made as to whether conventional medical treatment should be supplemented with complementary procedures (integrative medicine) or whether the methods of biological medicine should be used. It is therefore important that you take the time to complete our health questionnaire correctly and comprehensively and also provide us with any existing findings or reports in advance.
In a detailed initial consultation lasting 60 to 120 minutes, we will take the time to address your concerns and record your medical history, evaluate all existing findings and carry out a holistic medical examination. In a follow-up appointment, we will discuss your findings together and can then recommend an individual therapeutic approach and, if necessary, further diagnostic steps. We not only work closely with the dental department of our clinic, Alpine BioDental AG, but also with other therapists such as nutritionists, physiotherapists, psychotherapists and other specialists. Our aim is always to achieve the best possible long-term result for the patient. To achieve this, it is occasionally necessary to deviate from the treatment plan. If a deviation from the treatment plan is necessary, we will inform you in advance about the adapted procedure and possible additional costs.
B) General Terms and Conditions (GTC)
1. Scope of Application
These General Terms and Conditions (GTC) apply to all services provided by Alpine BioMedical AG and to all legal transactions and contracts with Alpine BioMedical AG.
Alpine BioMedical AG reserves the right to amend the GTC at any time. For each legal transaction, the version of the GTC physically or electronically attached to the contract at the time of conclusion of the contract shall apply. They form an integral part of the respective contractual relationship between Alpine BioMedical AG and the Customer.
Amendments and ancillary agreements are only effective if they are confirmed in writing by Alpine BioMedical AG.
2. Services
Services within the meaning of these GTC are Consultations, assessments, second opinions, analyses, diagnostics, examinations, therapies and other services that serve the purpose. These services are provided on the basis of the patient’s medical history, among other things. The patient is solely responsible for the accuracy and completeness of this information.
3. Placing of Order
Orders are generally placed by the client in writing, by telephone, by e-mail or in a personal meeting.
By registering and signing the medical history form and the GTCs, the contract or order is concluded between Alpine BioMedical AG and the client and the client accepts the validity of the GTCs in full.
After completing our questionnaire, the client can request a
request a non-binding cost estimate for an outpatient or semi-inpatient stay. This includes the medical services, but not external services such as laboratory, medication, x-rays, accommodation, meals, etc. In biological medicine, the therapy plan is individually tailored to the client and can therefore only be drawn up precisely on site. The invoice may therefore differ from the non-binding cost estimate.
4. Identity of the Contracting Party
The contract is concluded between the client and:
Alpine BioMedical AG
Bahnhofplatz 12
CH-8400 Winterthur ZH
Telephone: +41 52 203 10 11
E-mail: info@alpine-biomedical.ch
Website: www.alpine-biomedical.ch
Company identification number (UID) and VAT no.: CHE-175.898.604
5. Dates
Alpine BioMedical AG undertakes to provide the service recipient with the agreed services on the dates specified in the order confirmation, while the customer undertakes to accept this service at the predetermined time.
The deadlines shall be postponed appropriately if obstacles arise that are beyond the control of Alpine BioMedical AG, such as natural disasters, mobilization, war, riots, epidemics, accidents and illness, significant operational disruptions, labour disputes, late or faulty deliveries and official measures.
In the event of other delays, the client may
- waive further services: He must inform Alpine BioMedical AG of this immediately.
- demand partial deliveries, if possible: This must be agreed immediately.
- set Alpine BioMedical AG a reasonable deadline for subsequent fulfillment: If Alpine BioMedical AG fails to perform by the expiry of this grace period, the customer may, provided he declares it immediately, waive the subsequent performance or withdraw from the contract.
Alpine BioMedical AG must inform the Customer of any delays as soon as possible. Any damages shall be calculated in accordance with Art. 191 OR.
6. Revocation and Termination
6.1. Outpatient appointments
If an appointment for outpatient appointments is not taken up by the outpatient client, he/she will be charged the corresponding cancellation costs for the planned treatment, unless a cancellation is made at least 24 hours before the appointment.
6.2. Partial inpatient appointments lasting one or more weeks
If a treatment lasting one or more weeks is not commenced by the client, the cancellation costs amount to CHF 1000.00 for the entire planned period if the cancellation is made less than 7 days before the start or not at all. If the cancellation is made at least 14 days in advance after booking the appointments, Alpine BioMedical AG will only retain the administration deposit of CHF 500.00. If the treatment is postponed, the administrative deposit of CHF 500.00 will be credited to the client and charged for the next treatment. Significant changes to the order shall be deemed to be a new contract and must be agreed in accordance with the relevant rules.
7. Terms of Payment
Each client receives a written offer for the planned treatment.
In the case of outpatient treatment, Alpine BioMedical AG will issue the client with an invoice immediately after the therapy. This invoice must be paid on site by credit card or in cash immediately after the treatment.
The following means of payment are accepted:
Cash payments in Swiss francs, Maestro, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Postcard, TWINT. Diners credit cards are not accepted.
For clients who have planned partial inpatient treatment for one or more weeks, the costs will be set out in a quotation, whereby Alpine BioMedical AG reserves the right to make a reasonable deviation in the amount of the costs. At the same time, it is noted that costs for third-party services (e.g. laboratory tests) and pharmaceutical products are not included in the quotation and are therefore incurred in addition to the costs listed.
The down payment, which is specified in the offer, is made in advance in the case of a partial inpatient stay, at the latest 14 days after receipt of the offer. By signing the cost estimate or transferring the required deposit, the client agrees to the discussed therapy and the costs. Your deposit serves as confirmation of your appointment.
We take sufficient time for your treatment and are at your exclusive disposal with all our expertise and plenty of time. During this time, we concentrate on your treatment and do not treat any other patients at the same time. Your deposit therefore also serves as security for us. The deposit will of course be offset against the invoice for your treatment and the services actually provided. Any credit balance can be used for later treatments or paid out at the end of the treatment.
If payment terms are not complied with, Alpine BioMedical AG shall be entitled to
- to establish claims against the customer immediately
- and/or to perform outstanding services only against advance payment.
If payments have not been made even after a reasonable grace period has expired, Alpine BioMedical AG may withdraw from the contract, even if the service or a part thereof has already been provided. If the Customer fails to meet the payment deadlines, he shall be liable to pay interest on arrears from the due date without a reminder, which is 5% in accordance with OR 104 para. 1.
A flat-rate administration fee of CHF 15 shall be charged for each further request for payment.
The assignment or pledging to third parties of all reciprocal claims arising from this agreement, irrespective of their legal basis, is expressly excluded. This also applies to all additional individual fee agreements concluded for other therapies (e.g. infusion treatments, chelation therapy, ozone therapy, etc.).
8. Warranty
Alpine BioMedical AG undertakes to provide the services agreed with the Client with due care and to a high standard of quality. It further undertakes to carefully select the third parties used (e.g. external therapists, medical laboratories, hotels), insofar as this is within its professional competence and legally permissible. We guarantee that the agreed service will be carried out carefully and in accordance with the current state of science/teaching and many years of experience.
We therefore ensure that the treatments are carried out faithfully and carefully to the best of our knowledge and belief, but cannot guarantee the success of the treatment. As in all areas of healthcare, healing is patient-specific, varies from person to person and is fundamentally linked to the lifestyle, habits and medical characteristics of each patient.
9. Data Protection
Within the scope of the contractual relationship, Alpine BioMedical AG processes personal data in accordance with the applicable data protection legislation. The confidential data is only used for internal processing and will not be passed on to third parties without the consent of the client. Only data that is necessary for the execution of orders is collected.
Further information on data processing by Alpine BioMedical AG can be found in the “Privacy Policy”, available on the website.
Due to changes made to the data protection guidelines in September 2023, the data protection guidelines will also be discussed here.
9.1. Declaration of Consent
“By signing or electronically accepting the GTCs, I confirm that I consent to the processing of my data, access to the data by the doctor and the disclosure of the data to third parties in accordance with the patient information. I am aware of the possible risks involved in the exchange of particularly sensitive personal data (possible access by unauthorized third parties via insecure communication channels) and my rights and give my consent to mutual contact between my doctor and myself as a patient using the contact information provided above. Patient information will only be passed on by the medical practice via secure communication channels. I agree that administrative matters, such as rescheduling appointments, may be handled using unencrypted e-mail communication (e-mail addresses such as @bluewin.ch, @gmail.com etc.).
9.2. Patient Information on the Handling of Personal Data
We would like to inform you about the purpose for which Alpine BioMedical AG (hereinafter referred to as the medical practice) collects, stores or forwards your personal data. We also inform you about your rights that you can exercise in the context of data protection.
9.3. Responsibilities
The medical practice is responsible for processing your personal data and in particular your health data. If you have any questions about data protection or if you wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact the practice staff or your doctor directly.
9.4. Collection and Purpose of Data Processing
The processing (collection, storage, use and retention) of your data is based on the treatment contract and legal requirements to fulfill the purpose of the treatment and the associated obligations. On the one hand, data is collected by the treating doctor as part of your treatment. On the other hand, we also receive data from other doctors and healthcare professionals with whom you have been or are being treated, if you have given your consent. Only data relating to your medical treatment will be processed in your medical history. The medical history includes the personal information provided on the patient form, such as personal details, contact details and insurance details, as well as, among other things, the medical history interview, treatment interview or information interview conducted as part of the treatment, health data collected such as medical histories, diagnoses, therapy suggestions and findings.
9.5. Duration of Storage
Your medical history will be kept for 20 years after your last treatment. After that, it will be kept with your express consent or securely deleted or destroyed.
9.6. Disclosure of Data
We will only transfer your personal data and in particular your medical data to external third parties if this is permitted or required by law or if you have consented to the transfer of data as part of your treatment.
- Data is transferred to your health insurance company or accident or disability insurance company for the purpose of invoicing the services provided to you. The type of data transmitted is based on the legal requirements.
- Data is passed on to cantonal and national authorities (e.g. cantonal medical service, health departments, etc.) on the basis of statutory reporting obligations.
- Optional: The necessary patient and invoice data is passed on to the debt collection agency for the purpose of debt collection (collection of outstanding debts).
- Data transfer to laboratories for the purpose of analyses and corresponding data evaluation (internal) and communication with Alpine BioMedical AG
- In individual cases, depending on your treatment and your corresponding consent, data may be transferred to other authorized recipients (e.g. laboratories, other doctors).
9.7. Revocation of your Consent
If you have given your express consent for data processing, you can withdraw your consent in whole or in part at any time. The revocation or request to change consent must be made in writing. As soon as we have received your written revocation and the processing cannot be based on any legal basis other than consent, the processing will be discontinued. The lawfulness of the data processing carried out up to the point of revocation remains unaffected by the revocation.
9.8. Information, Inspection and Disclosure
You have the right to obtain information about your personal data at any time. You can inspect your medical history or request a copy. You may have to pay a fee to obtain a copy. You will be informed in advance of any costs, which depend on the time and effort involved in producing the copy.
9.9. Right to Data Transfer
You have the right to have data that we process automatically or digitally handed over to you or to a third party in a commonly used, machine-readable format. This also applies in particular to the transfer of medical data to a healthcare professional of your choice. If you request the direct transfer of the data to another controller, this will only take place if it is technically feasible.
9.10. Correction of your Data
If you discover or are of the opinion that your data is incorrect or incomplete, you have the option of requesting a correction. If neither the correctness nor the incompleteness of your data can be established, you have the option of attaching a note of dispute.
10. Written Form Requirement
All declarations to be made after conclusion of the contract are only effective in writing.
11. Severability Clause
Should parts of these GTC be or become invalid or unenforceable, this shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions. The contracting parties are obliged to replace an invalid provision with a valid provision that comes as close as possible to the economic purpose of the invalid contractual provisions.
Amendments to these GTC require the written consent of Alpine BioMedical AG to be legally valid.
12. Applicable Law
The contractual relationship between Alpine BioMedical AG and the Customer shall be governed by Swiss substantive law to the exclusion of international conventions.
13. Place of Jurisdiction
The courts at the registered office of Alpine BioMedical AG, in 8400 Winterthur (ZH) Switzerland, shall have exclusive jurisdiction for all disputes arising from or in connection with the contracts (including these GTC).
14. Acknowledgement and Declaration of Consent
By signing below, the Customer declares that he has taken full note of the content of the GTC, gives his consent and authorizes Alpine BioMedical AG to request files or provide information in the event of a need or request and within the framework of the circumstances described.
We are here for you
Our experienced team is there for you at all times and is on hand to answer any questions you may have about your health.